Denver's been a heavy favorite to seize Lombardi's treasure ever since Peyton Manning brought his Hall of Fame credentials to town. The Broncos seemed to be on the fast track toward last year's Super Bowl if not for the collapse against eventual champion Baltimore. This time, they seem to have gotten Manning's apparently-annual stumble out of the way early (the November 24 comedy of errors in New England).

Roadblocking Denver's third Super Bowl title, and Manning's second, is a hellish pass defense monikered as "The Legion of Boom". Denver's still a narrow favorite to win, but it's gonna take their entire arsenal to upend a team that lives loud, and plays louder.